GIRLS WATER POLO: Castilleja Tops Eagles to Reach Final

The Score: Castilleja 5, Los Altos 4

The Star: Senior Barbara Peterson had three of Castilleja High's five goals and three ejections as the Gators prevailed in a Central Coast Section Division II semifinal at Lynbrook High.

The Turning Point: Castilleja senior goalie Sally Walecka blocked Los Altos' five-meter shot at the 4:40 mark of the final quarter to retain the Gators' 5-4 lead.

The Quote: "It was kind of a game of waiting it out and see which team was finally just going to take control of the game. They started out really strong, but the third and fourth quarter really made a difference for us." — Castilleja coach Brenda Villa. 

What's Next? Third-seeded Castilleja meets three-time defending champion and No. 1 seed Sacred Heart Prep in the CCS Division II title match at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday at Independence High in San Jose.

The Bottom Line: Castilleja willed its way to victory with its usual defensive prowess and late-scoring surge in order to secure a spot in the CCS final.

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Family, friends and classmates of the Castilleja High girls water polo team counted down the final 10 ticks of the clock Wednesday night as the Gators held the ball and the lead on neutral ground at Lynbrook High.

With the 5-4 win over the Los Altos Eagles, Castilleja succeeded where it failed last year—in the playoff semifinals—en route to the Central Coast Section Division II championship match.

Third-seeded Castilleja meets No. 1 seed Sacred Heart Prep on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Independence High in San Jose. Sacred Heart Prep, the three-time defending champion, won 14-8 over No. 4 seed St. Ignatius in Wednesday's earlier semifinal at Lynbrook.

Castilleja head coach Brenda Villa emphasized the importance of victory for seniors, who experienced a disappointing defeat last year only to find redemption by seizing a second opportunity to reach the finals.

"I just put it on them and I told them whatever team wanted it more was gonna win at the end of the game," she said. "Coaches can call plays, but it's the players in the water that execute them or find a way to score the ball. It was just more their will than anything I did."

Second-seeded Los Altos (19-7) came out roaring to take a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. Katy Schaefer, who had a team-high three goals, scored twice in the period.

But then the Castilleja seniors took action in the water. Captain Natasha von Kaeppler and Barbara Peterson led the charge offensively, while Sally Walecka put the early goals allowed behind her to hand the Eagles a scoreless second half. The most critical stop came at 4:40 of the final stanza, when Walecka stopped a five-meter shot brought on by a Von Kaeppler foul.

After trailing the whole game, that key shutdown for Castilleja (17-9) opened the gates for Peterson and von Kaeppler. Von Kaeppler tied the game at 3:34 of the fourth quarter. Peterson pushed the momentum to its tipping point with 94 seconds left as she nailed the game winner.

"I think we had two great defensive stops—we stopped their five-on-six and we blocked their five-meters—so I think that gave the girls the extra spark that they needed on offense," said Villa. "We've had great defense all year. We just needed to score a little more I think."

Earlier, Peterson scored twice in the second quarter and von Kaeppler added a goal as the Gators pulled within 4-3 at halftime.

Villa highlighted Walecka's resilient play afterward.

"It's hard to get scored on three times in one quarter; that didn't do anything to her confidence, because then she came up big and blocked that five-meter at the end," Villa said of her goalie. "So she's just one of those goalies that does her job all game long, but she really shines at the end in those big moments."

Shining in big moments provided the Gators with the opportunity to become champions this Saturday.

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Castilljea 5, Los Altos 4

C --0 3 0 2 -- 5

LA -- 3 1 0 0 -- 4

Scoring:  C: Peterson 3, von Kaeppler 2.  LA:  Schaefer 3, Reyna 1.

Records:  Castilleja 17-9.  Los Altos 19-7.